Often, people can overlook the importance of employee benefits by focusing on how much their salary will be and what their take home pay will be. Natalie Pine, managing partner and lead advisor at Briaud Financial Advisors, recently had an opportunity to speak about this topic as a guest on the Money Tree Investing Podcast with Miranda Marquit.
The episode runs about 46 minutes, and the first 16 of them feature a wide-ranging discussion between Natalie Pine and Marquit about employee benefits. While sometimes benefits will not put money directly in an employee’s hands, there are often opportunities for cost avoidance. This, indirectly, keeps money in the bank account, which can potentially be used to fund a successful retirement.
You can listen to the podcast here:
Briaud Financial Advisors works with a lot of professors, so Natalie was able to share some insights into how to maximize those benefits from universities. There can be a lot of hidden value in those employee benefits, making them worth close inspection. Some can result in the savings of hundreds or thousands of dollars a year, and others (like free health care for life) have the potential to reach hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of many years.
For this reason, Natalie talked about why job candidates should have a clear understanding of the total compensation package, which includes benefits and not just the salary.
Because benefits are worth thousands of dollars annually, it would be helpful to examine them in a detailed manner to determine how they can benefit your retirement and other financial goals, especially as many can lead to tax savings. The less spent on taxes, whether through tax reductions or tax deferrals, the more to attack debt, save for retirement, or even enjoy a nice vacation.
Here are some points she raised about the importance of employee benefits that might help you evaluate what you are receiving and how it impacts your financial health:
- Get a full understanding of your benefits
- Consider the importance of employee benefits before making a job move
- Avoid (or defer) taxes in order to save more for retirement
- Create a total compensation statement
- Strategies to consider as an entrepreneur or small business
If you would like Briaud Financial Advisors to help you and your family gain greater insights into your benefits and total compensation, do not hesitate to contact us.
Did you know writers from top financial publications often seek out insights from Briaud’s team of Certified Financial Planners™? You can see where our team has been in the news by clicking here.